Road World Cup 2009

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                                   Round 3 - Ronde van Drenthe    Round 2- Ronde van Vlaanderen    Round 1- Trofeo Binda   

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This race was part of the Ronde van Drenthe 2009 links to coverage below

WCN quicklink >>  Race 1  - Drenste 8 Dwingeloo     Race 2 - Novillon Eurocup      Race 3 - Ronde van Drenthe World Cup

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Emma Johansson (Red Sun Racing) was a determined sprinter on the run in to the finish of the Ronde van Drenthe. She spoilt the possibility of a local Dutch win, ahead of Loes Gunnewijk (Team Flexpoint) and Chantal Blaak Leontien.NL)

The consistency of Johansson meant that she also took the lead in the World Cup standings ahead of Marianne Vos (DBS).

Full Report 

Emma Johansson (Red Sun Cycling) wrestled the World Cup leader’s jersey from Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) by winning the third Ronde van Drenthe World Cup race in the Netherlands. Riding for a Dutch team, the Swede was a popular winner on a warm, sunny afternoon.

The Ronde van Drenthe is considered to be a tough test for the women, often referred to as their Paris-Roubaix. The three stretches of cobblestones through wooded farmland offer a test of stamina, bike handling and equipment. The cobbles are in the first half of the race and, as in previous years, created breaks in the peloton which gave the leading groups the opportunity to shape the race through the narrow Drenthe lanes and on to the Col du VAM (or VAM berg), which is a short but steep lung opener. The Col du VAM is covered twice in the final 40 kilometres as the parcours take the riders in a procession through the finish line in Hoogeveen once before the finale.

The riders were visibly nervous about the passages on the cobbles. The pace of the race lifted considerably in the five kilometers before the first section and then a crash towards the rear of the peloton served to split the bunch before the cobbles did their worst. The leading contenders were safely towards the front through the first two sections, many with team-mates for company. Marianne Vos (DSB Bank), the current World Cup leader was there, Emma Johansson and Anne Arnouts (Red Sun Cycling), Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Columbia Women) winner of last week’s Ronde van Vlaanderen and team-mate Ellen van Dijk were all there, along with Susanne Ljungskog, Loes Gunnewijk and Mirjam Melchers van Poppel (Team Flexpoint), Giorgia Bronzini and Marta Tagliaferro (Italy) and Andrea Bosman and Chantal Blaak (Team Leontien). Most of Equipe Nurnberger made it, Suzanne De Goede, Regina Schleicher, Trixi Worrack and Eva Lutz included.

So it was that the race entered the third and longest section of cobbles. The lead group was a strong representation of current form in the peloton. But, as the race drove through the Drenthe villages to the final section around Hoogeveen and over the VAM, it all came back together. A large bunch rode over the climb for the penultimate time and it took almost 20 kilometres of attack and counter attack before  Liesbeth De Voche (DSB Bank) was able to break away. She built up a lead approaching one minute on the roads back towards the climb. Swiss road Champion, Jennifer Hohl (Bigla Cycling Team) chased hard and found herself a solo rider between the leader and the bunch for several kilometres. An acceleration by the chasers caught the leaders at the foot of the climb and Noemi Cantele (Bigla Cycling Team) and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Columbia Women) attacked the others by leading over the VAM with 15 kilometres to go.

They were caught on the short, fast descent. There then came a flurry of attack and counterattack. Eva Lutz (Equipe Nurnberger) and Grace Verbeek (Lotto Belisol) gained a small gap for a couple of kilometres, but tactics dictated that they would not stay away. The pair were hunted down by Sarah Duester (Cervelo Test Team), Chantal Blaak (Team Leontien) and Loes Gunnewijk (Team Flexpoint). They formed a leading break which just managed to hold off the bunch all the way to the finish line. After the final corner, with 500 metres to go, the six fought it out in a sprint involving them all (there were no team-mates for lead out) and it was Johansson who was able to accelerate the most and maintain her lead through to victory on the line from Gunnewijk and Blaak, although the others were not far behind.

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (Team Columbia Women) was first across the line in the bunch sprint for seventh. A spirited  lunge for the line by Marianne Vos (DSB Bank) to take eighth was not enough to keep the series lead.

Johansson leads the World Cup series and will start the Fleche Wallone Femmes in the distinctive jersey on April 22^nd in Huy, Belgium.

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